


Being alone was never hard, until I met you.

by thundersandrains



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Ateez members as businessmen, Businessman Jeong Yunho, CEO Jeong Yunho, Florist Jung Wooyoung, Fluff, I still have no idea what to tag, Inspired by ZERO: FEVER Part 2 Album Photoshoot, Light Angst, M/M, Shop Owner Jung Wooyoung, bahala na, very cute and fluffy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:34:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29941098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thundersandrains/pseuds/thundersandrains
Summary: Jeong Yunho had gone from insanely smart to insanely stupid.But no matter how the florist had changed Yunho’s routines against his will, two things remained.Yunho could not speak properly while looking at the florist, and second, the florist never looked at Yunho in the eyes.
Relationships: Jeong Yunho/Jung Wooyoung, Wooyoung/Yunho
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Being alone was never hard, until I met you.

Chapter 1: Seeds

Jeong Yunho led an empire.

As cliché as it sounds, his father passed away long before the young Yunho was ready to take over, forcing him to drop everything he used to care about, and to sit at the topmost view of everything his father built. The biggest seat of them all, as his much younger self remembered, overpowering all of the others with merely its stark dark color and size, settling on the farthest spot at the end of the table.

Most of his father's partners predicted it was the end of the empire that he built, mainly because Yunho, the only heir to the throne, was too young and too innocent and too gentle to handle the harsh realities of that world. His mother had kept him in between the cracks of imagination and dreams, keeping him away from the dark world his father created just for him to keep that innocence.

But things changed, dragging Yunho along with it.

So even if he did have his own doubts about his capabilities, he led everything his father left behind, making it grow into much more than what his father and the rest predicted, and made it flourish. Flourished and empowered it, made it bigger, brighter and better. 

His father's name was soon replaced with his, preaching about almost everything he achieved, overcoming and bringing down the biggest of companies and taking over the top position of the chain, marking his name at the bottom of his feet.

Jeong Yunho had everything, but a life. 

He learned how to basically live with only suits in his closets, and his surroundings a constant color of blacks and whites. He got used to keeping that neutral face most of his days, only morphing into a scowl or frown when the budget allocated was too little, or when they had to change everything they planned just to accomodate a selfish bastard partner that he soon broke off contact with.

After all, running that big of a business will always be a serious matter, and everything else would just become a distraction in achieving the goals he had set for himself and the company.

So, one can't really blame him when he paused for more than a second to look at the weird shop that popped up suddenly in a spot between the gray and black buildings. The bright yellow and brown sign up ahead, with dozens of flowers arranged outside the shop, looking a little lost and out of place because of its colorful interiors and exteriors compared to the bland colors that surrounds it.

Yunho broke out of his thoughts and roamed his eyes around, waiting for an explanation from someone or from anywhere as to why the sudden burst of colors in the middle of the most pristine and expensive part of the city.

But no one was there, and nothing was enough to explain why.

Walking away became his only choice in the midst of his own thoughts, leaving his eyes to study the flowers on display as long as he could, until he couldn't anymore and the shop disappeared from his sight and only to be remembered in his memory for the rest of his day.

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"Here are the rest of them, just like you asked to be brought up after your meetings." Seonghwa came and laid out the folders on his desk, looking proud of his neat files and his punctuality. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, thank you." Yunho muttered, not bothering to look up from the separate file about the company's standing he was scanning. "You can leave for the night. Thank you for your work today."

"What about you?"

That made Yunho look up, hand in the middle of flipping a page as he glanced at Seonghwa's concerned eyes. "What about me?"

"When are you planning on leaving that seat your ass had been sitting on for more than 96 hours already?" 

If it weren't for the soft tone Seonghwa gave him, Yunho would've fired him then and there. But even if he didn't have that gentle coax, Yunho wouldn't even be bothered anymore out of exhaustion; physically, mentally and emotionally.

Yunho closed off the folder and leaned back on his office chair, bouncing him forward and back slightly at the force. "It should be at 80 hours only." He said, closing his eyes and stretched out his cramping fingers. "I've been in and out of meetings, and I sat my ass down on a different chair then."

Seonghwa rolled his eyes and slightly sat at the edge of Yunho's table. "I am not in a decent mood to pretend I enjoy the tasteless jokes you give." 

"Hey!"

"Even Hongjoong can make out better jokes than you."

"That standard is too low. Are you sure you want to get fired?"

"I still stand on the point I made."

"Make sure to have you and your things cleared out on your desk by tomorrow morning." Yunho threatened.

Seonghwa scoffed, standing up from the table and walked away. "I'll be gone before you know it."

If there are things that gave a little hint of colors in Yunho's life, it would probably come from his little group of friends he made on his way to the top. They are not much, but they somehow gave meaning to his meaningless life, adding some sort of humor and laughter in his endless cycle of work.

Yunho found himself calling out to Seonghwa before he could stop himself. The older turned with a hum, eyes curious and playful but there's the stiffness of work that sat proudly on his shoulders.

"You- Did you happen to notice the new shop a few steps from the building?"

Maybe the 96 hours inside this office and running on bottomless coffees and sandwiches is wearing him out already.

Seonghwa looked at him funny, tilting his head and wondering if he had heard him right, but then thinking seriously about his question. "Is this what used to be an empty spot on the main floor of the building next door?"

"Yes."

The look Seonghwa gave him was indescribable, and Yunho thought that he might have shown him a scowl because Seonghwa suddenly stood straighter under his gaze. "San never told me anything about filling up that space. But I guess somebody took it already since it's been a while since our last meeting with them as partners." Seonghwa answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Why are you asking about that space? Do you have plans on using that too? You know San can make them leave if you told him to-"

He waved a hand dismissively, asking Seonghwa to stop. "I have no plans on using it, please don't contact them about it." Yunho replied, "I just got curious since it has really been a long time since that space got occupied."

"Is there any problem with that?"

"It was a flower shop."

"What?"

"Nothing." Yunho smiled, straightening himself on his seat and pulling his chair closer to the desk. "You can rest now, and I promise to leave before midnight."

Seonghwa glared at him. Yunho flinched.

"10 pm?" 

"Leave before the clock strikes 9. It's Sunday, for crying out loud. No one is here anymore for you to order around. Just go home and rest, will you? And have a decent dinner for once." Seonghwa paused. "Do you want me to ask someone to buy you steak?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll be fine, maybe I'll have food delivered or something. I just have to go through these last week's data then I'll be out."

Seonghwa naturally became his go-to person because of his personality and less more of his work behavior. Not that he doesn't know how to work properly (Yunho can even leave him the company unattended whenever he needs to go overseas for routine checks or partnerships) but because Yunho found himself leaning towards Seonghwa's instinct to take care of the people around him; which is one of the things Yunho lost after attaining this empire of his.

"I'll ask Mingi if you tend to stay longer than 10pm." Seonghwa pressed, pointing a finger at Yunho as he walked backwards.

"Mingi's out already. He said he got some dinner date plan shit going on, so he left long before you came here."

"I'll-"

"Just fucking go, Seonghwa. I'll be out soon enough." Yunho interrupted him, already waving him goodbye and pretended not to see Seonghwa flipping him off.

Professional.

Yunho did leave early (maybe a little past 9 but still not later than 10), and he planned to walk from the company to the small shop that sold good noodles a few buildings away. He's been craving those noodles for a while now, and even if he did ask a few to bring him some over for his meal, it still wasn't as good as buying them on his own and have a good sniff of the heavy and savory broth as he walked back to the building to where his car was parked. 

But on that way towards his noodles, he had to pass by the shop that seemed to catch his eye every single time he walked by. The shop was now closed; well, closing, since the owner just got out of the shop after closing the lights and was on his way to locking the doors and nudging the handles hard to check if they are secure. 

Yunho found himself staring at a distance, a few steps still behind before reaching the shop. The owner seemed to have not noticed his presence, since he calmly did his own thing and then proceeded to grab his bag he left by the door, slung it over his shoulders and went on his way. And when he passed by the startled Yunho, he noticed that there were earbuds deep in the florist's ears, and was bobbing his head up and down slightly as he walked away.

The noodles were long forgotten, since Yunho simply walked back to his car empty-handed, but mind was raging with endless thoughts.

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Jeong Yunho had gone insane.

Well, he got called by the media far more intelligent names, but one stood out better than the rest. He got called insane.

Insane for taking over the business empire his father left behind at such a young and immature age. Insane for being able to expand the business far bigger than anyone did. Insane for being able to remain his status at the top without any danger to his name and safety.

Insane for thinking things differently, causing him to be ahead of his competitors.

But today, Yunho had become insane for a totally different reason.

After the business proposal that he attended, he found himself parking his car, walking away from the tall glass doors of his building and stopped right in front of the shop.

Doing nothing.

Maybe staring at the figure who wandered up and about in the shop, gesturing at different plants and flowers as he spoke to a nice looking lady with a big, genuine smile on his face. Even from afar, Yunho can see his fluffy hair of black slightly getting carried away with the wind within the shop, causing a few hairs to stick out and appear out of place. The florist's long, large, blue sweater is pressed tight on his body by a dark brown apron wrapped around his waist, showing off his figure that was not slim nor bulky.

When the talking florist started to appear closer to the shop's windows to pick up a pot of some sort of flower from the displays, Yunho froze when their eyes met, florist in the middle of grabbing the plant and Yunho staring from the outside with hands in his pocket, body undeniably facing the flower shop. 

Out of all the things he did right, this is definitely on the other side of the list.

Jeong Yunho had gone from insanely smart to insanely stupid.

He wasn't sure what to do, his legs tangling awkwardly with his head hung low, determined to hide his blushing face from the florist's view.

"Jeong Yunho!"

Yunho almost flung himself towards San, who was waving at him with Seonghwa tagging along, a bag seemingly full with coffee in his hands. He jogged up to them with relief, and pushed them straight towards the building and away from his humiliation. He let out a deep breath when they entered his building, knees almost giving out on him. San (and a few more others who were walking about the main floor) quickly rushed to his side and Yunho waved them off, closing his eyes and catching his breath.

"I'm fine." He muttered, San still held on to his arm and Seonghwa looking alarmed and ready to drop the expensive coffee they just bought.

"You look like you're about to pass out." Seonghwa chimed, stepping a little closer to take a better look at his face. "Do you need to have yourself checked?"

Yunho breathed and straightened himself, putting back his neutral face on and fixed the buttons of his navy blue suit. The others have gotten the sign to leave him alone, leaving just the two looking at him unsurely.

"I just made the biggest mistake of my life and for the first time ever, I have no idea how to fucking solve it."

Later that night, when Yunho laid still on his bed wide awake at 2am in the morning, did he only realize the most important thing that he shouldn't have missed out on.

Choi fucking San screamed his name in front of the fucking store. 

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The issue that made it to the news last night gave his company a huge dent, though it can be fixed, but their reputation is now tainted and they can't risk anything anymore. Hence the sleep-deprived group scattered around the table with files upon files of data and records piling up as they try to come up with a solution to cover the amount they had to lose.

"This is going to end up messy." Hongjoong grunted, already massaging his temples as Jongho continued with the reports. 

Yunho nodded absentmindedly but tried to understand the situation, solutions running all over his head but Jongho will always contradict his unsaid plans with something from the report that seemed to have no end. 

"What about we delay the release that we were planning to publicize by the end of this month?" Mingi suggested, scratching off something from his notebook then pointing his pen on no one in particular. Jongho had just finished his report and is back on his seat. "That way, we can sort of make the public know that we are taking this shit seriously."

Yunho did think about it, resting his chin on his intertwined hands propped up on the table as he scanned through the last piece of data Jongho wrapped up in his report that still flashed on the screen. "We can't."

Hongjoong leaned forward and faced Yunho, tearing his intense glare off the screen. "Why? Data shows we can stretch it out more so we have more time to plan this out."

"But data cannot show the deals we have already made prior to this release." Yunho explained calmly, but his mind is nothing near that. "Those people are way too big and hard to claim, so we have to bend through hoops and dodge bullets just for them to agree if we need to reschedule it. We might even lose some if we did that."

The silence was suffocating. In the midst of something like this, everyone is bound to go silent. Wrecking their brains out quietly, connecting dots, remembering certain contacts and information; just to come up with something that could at least help them start moving.

"We need to lose the money." Yeosang finally spoke up, making heads turn to his position on the table. He looked up from his laptop and pulled it closer to him, angling his head so it could rest lightly on the screen. "We only have two options: lose the money or lose the people."

"But losing the money could set us a few steps back, and others might take that chance and jump on to the higher seat." Jongho pointed out, his face maintaining its blank look.

Yeosang nodded, as if he was trying to make them understand that he did take that into consideration. "But losing the connections we had would cost more. If not double, triple the amount." 

"He's right." Seonghwa spoke up, eyes still trailing over the messy piles of paper before him. "If you add up all the resources we got from partnerships and deals, it costs even more than triple."

Yunho looked back at Jongho. "What are the other things connected to that money we'll give up? If we did end up choosing Yeosang's idea?"

The younger was already scanning through his own documents, slouched over the laptop to see things clearly and not to miss a single digit. "Other than cutting some production costs and delaying the amount goal we have for this year, none so far."

Yunho nodded and drifted his gaze over to Hongjoong and Mingi. "And how can we make sure that this will burn to the ground after losing that money?" 

"We can triple check the data we'll present along with the confidentiality contract that we'll make you read through by the end of the week." Hongjoong answered, and Mingi seemed to be occupied already with listing all the things they needed to gather for that. 

Yunho briefly looked at the data on the file that Seonghwa had provided earlier, rethinking it all again just to see if there is anything they missed out on that could have made their situation worse. “Okay, be ready for any media interviews because shit is about to go down.” Yunho nodded, glancing at everyone who groaned, slouching back on their seats and some even pouted their lips. 

“Media can’t keep their filthy hands to themselves.” Hongjoong grunted.

“Do you want to be interviewed?” Seonghwa asked gently, raising an eyebrow at him, probably wordlessly trying to insult his dark circles and unkempt hair Yunho wasn’t able to hide as he rushed out of his penthouse that morning after receiving the news. But for Yunho, he probably looked better than anyone else in the room, since they were here all night doing damage control.

Yunho shrugged, standing up and buttoning his coat. “I don’t mind. Besides, they would probably want me to speak about this.” he rolled his eyes and Seonghwa chuckled. “Just let me know soon if I need to bring out my good ties and shiny shoes so I can prevent any hassle.” he nodded to the rest, and they all grunted in response, waving him goodbye as he stepped out of the meeting.

The walk back to his office was uneventful, save for the almost spilled protein shake over his suit as one of the employees didn’t see him standing on his way. Yunho didn’t really mind it, but he forgot to ask someone to dry-clean the ones he kept inside the office, so he felt a little relieved to see the employee snap out of his thoughts before creating a mess and almost losing his job.

He scanned his office for a while, glaring at the amount of papers he needed to review for the upcoming events and another tall stack for things he needed to sign and order around. If he could ask someone to finish all his tasks today, he would just because he’s goddamn tired. But, his employees are doing more than enough already, and even though they are ready and prepared to do just about anything the CEO asks, Yunho couldn’t let them.

He is responsible, and takes pride in that. But he has a tendency to get reckless; a little bit of himself which he had before claiming the throne, that gets out of his system every once in a while.

And usually, it is not a good decision.

Standing right out the door of the busy flower shop is a good example of that.

The shop had more customers today, and if Yunho’s memory is right, there is some sort of celebration or holiday or something that is going on today, explaining the amount of people roaming around the shop and asking for certain flower arrangements and scheduling delivery services. 

His mind told him to snap out of it and rush back to the office, but his heart urged his body to move forward and approach.

The door chimes sounded as he went in, but the noise it made was nothing compared to the chatters happening inside the store. A couple of students were checking out the items within the store, and a couple more middle-aged males gesturing and explaining to the man behind the counter about the bouquets they wanted to buy. All in all, it was a pretty chaotic sight, but Yunho is used to chaos, practically living in them for about 5 years now.

Once inside, Yunho glanced around, taking in his surroundings of different colors and shapes. A bunch of different species of flowers were placed on a round table in the middle with a few other plants surrounding the table on the floor. A shelf filled with smaller plants is displayed and pressed against the floor, and if Yunho squinted, he could see the labels that are poking from the soil in each pot. And near the windows are beautifully arranged bouquets, several of which are a lot bigger in size and some were even bigger than anything he had seen or encountered. 

But out of all the things Yunho had seen out of the ordinary, he felt weird being surrounded with all of the colors.

He got used to living off with blacks and whites, surrounded by different shades of gray and would even be pleasantly surprised if Hongjoong chose to wear a patterned suit of browns when he felt like it. Needless to say, Yunho did live in such a bland and dull life.

Bright yellows, vibrant red, calming purples and shades of green took over the entirety of the shop. The bulbs that lighted up the room were in a different shade of orange than Yunho got used to working with inside the offices, and he noticed that it complimented really well the colors within the shop, not overpowering them but more of making the area a lot more cozier and more home-y.

But what caught his eyes more than the vibrant colors is the smile of the florist wore.

The brightness was almost blinding, captivating and felt unreal. His smile got Yunho staring from one side that he walked over to prevent getting trampled on by the loud and excited university students rushing in to claim their orders. The smile that didn’t fade even once, speaking rather loudly over the chatters and noise within the shop, and he even giggled when one complimented him too much about the arrangement he did for their order. 

The florist was polite and courteous, bowing deeply at every single customer after claiming requests. He got eyes that are genuine yet sharp, small but have so many stories to tell. Smooth skin that shone everytime the sun entered the shop when the doors opened, causing Yunho to pause and freeze on his spot.

Yunho was probably in there for a good amount of time, roaming around the shop to glance the flowers and admired its beauty, even taking mental notes of the plants he would think would suit best inside his office and in his apartment (his house looked even more bland and duller than the rest of his building combined, and it was something that Hongjoong had pestered him over and over to have someone decorate his place better). The customers came and went, but Yunho remained, eyes travelling and following the florist as he went on with his day, entertaining guests and sometimes running over to the back to grab the delicately arranged sets he had finished for pick-ups.

He went back to the office with a lot more plant names and species in his brain, and less of the pressing issues he had to solve and present over the week. 

When he asked Seonghwa and the rest if it was okay for him to take the rest of his day off, none of them stopped him, looking rather surprised at his statement since he never took the afternoon off unless he had some meetings to prepare for and would like to get ready in the comfort of his own home.

Taking the rest of the day off was a rare occurrence, happening about once in every two years.

But as he drove home with a box of pizza and soft drinks resting on the passenger’s seat, he knew he needed the off.

He needed time to think why the hell didn’t the florist look at him every once in the two hours he spent inside his shop.

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It had been a few months since the flower shop appeared right before the young CEO’s eyes.

It had also been a few months since the flower shop casted more colors into Yunho’s life.

It had become a routine: coming to work, parking his car, walking away from the doors to grab some coffee from the nearby cafe, and stealing glances of the ever-changing flower shop as he passed by. Flowers are changed every other day, some staying longer than the rest but the potted plants remain, Yunho taking note of that after seeing Wooyoung watering them often.

Wooyoung is the florist’s name. 

Yunho had encountered the name everytime he would come in to check on new flower arrangements displayed by the windows; customers coming in to greet the florist by his first name and cooing him rather softly after he presented to them their bouquets, thanking each other with so much gratitude than what Yunho was used to. 

Wooyoung got streaks of brown tangled among his black hair.

The brown was much more evident when Yunho looked closer, and when Wooyoung was outside the shop, arranging the delicate flower displays in front. His fluffy mop of hair danced along the soft breeze, and instead of ruining it, Yunho found him a lot more interesting and more humane. Because everything he just saw about the florist felt unreal.

He was ethereal.

But no matter how the florist had changed Yunho’s routines against his will, two things remained.

Yunho could not speak properly while looking at the florist, and second, the florist never looked at Yunho in the eyes.

Even when he tried his best to approach, his voice came out crusty and choppy and snapping out of his thoughts so fast that Yunho was convinced that Wooyoung would think weirdly of him. Or maybe saw Yunho as someone that wasn’t worth his time.

Because Wooyoung was already surrounded with pretty flowers, so why the hell would he pay attention to the dullest crayon in the box?

That thought came over to Yunho every once in a while, sometimes in the middle of meetings and more often while he was alone in his office and at home. It came like an unwanted guest, visiting in the most inconvenient hours and delaying him of the work he had to do and accomplish within the day. Yunho was used to surprise visits and guests, but nothing is worse than that guest coming inside your thoughts and Yunho cannot make up excuses for it to go away and leave him alone.

“You told us to buy the noodles from next door, and now you’re not even eating?” Jongho spoke, eyeing Yunho curiously with narrowed eyes. “Do you know how long the line was when we arrived and you are not even acknowledging our hard work?”

“Shut up.” Yunho muttered, finally opening the lid of the paper bowl and snapping the chopsticks in two. “I will eat the noodles you just bought with my money using the card that I gave to you.”

“He’s just caught up with his emotions that never resurfaced for about 6 years until now.” San laughed, slurping his noodles as he kept his playful gaze on Yunho.

“You mean the feelings he didn’t know about ever since he was born.” Yeosang jokes, causing the rest to laugh soon after.

“Shut up or I’ll have your salaries delayed for a year and a half.” Yunho threatened, closing his eyes as he sipped the savory beef broth his noodles came with.

San leaned forward after tossing his chopsticks in his empty bowl. “Does that mean I have the right to continue on insulting you and your unprepared feelings?”

Yunho mimicked San’s actions and glared at him. “I’ll break off every single partnership your business and I have.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Seonghwa can-”

“Okay!” San exclaimed, rolling his eyes in defeat. “You’re so touchy and sensitive about your unreciprocated feelings.”

The rest chuckled but kept their insults within themselves, making small talks about their days as well as the conversations they had with potential partners and customers.

“San, what do you know about the flower shop that opened at the spot in your building?” Hongjoong asked, causing Yunho to choke over his noodles, but waving his hand dismissively when the rest started eyeing him warily. 

The man leaned back on his chair while twisting the cap off his soft drink. “You mean Wooyoung’s shop?”

Seonghwa side-eyed Yunho for a moment before leaning closer. “You know him?”

“Yeah. I mean he’s been occupying that space for months already, and he seems like a good guy. Sent flowers over to my office the first day he got settled in as a thank you. The scent and colors were heaven.” San sighed, smiling. “Why? Is he in trouble?”

“Oh, no.” Hongjoong waved. “I just got curious, since it was unusual for a flower shop to maintain its business when it’s stationed in between two giant companies.” he shrugged, and San nodded in response.

Yunho had no idea what he felt about his friends knowing about his little secret. 

Well, the shop isn’t a secret and Wooyoung definitely isn’t his to keep.

But the thought of others knowing about the person he seemed to take notice more frequently recently is something that caused his heart to beat. Whether it was because of his unclassified feelings over the florist or the fact that his friends would probably start to notice his actions towards the shop or the owner himself.

And he isn’t quite sure if he’s ready to handle all of that on top of the things he is already handling. 

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The chimes of the door rang loudly, but what frustrates Yunho more is the fact that the florist barely looked up from the bouquet he was arranging behind the counter.

"Hello! Welcome to Precious! I'm afraid we are booked for the entirety of the month, but please! Feel free to roam around to see if there's anything you'd like." Wooyoung smiled, but his eyes remained on the small branch of the flower he's gently twisting around to fit within the small space allocated for it.

Yunho didn't feel the need to respond, especially when he realized that it won't be noticed anyway. So he simply nodded for the sake of it, then proceeded to walk towards the new flowers displayed near the window, bending over to read the small name tags of each one. 

In his usual days where visiting the shop became a routine, he would glance around and mentally decorate his apartment with new plants he found within the shop. 

(He may have added a cacti or two in the corners of his home, and maybe bought a bouquet once just to add colors within his living area.)

(Maybe he bought it just to see if the florist would finally look him in the eye or at least to get to know him, but Wooyoung only spared him a glance faster than a blink.)

But today, he only felt the textures of the plants between his fingers, turning his head towards Wooyoung almost every 5 seconds, wanting to catch him if he ever started to pay attention to Yunho.

The man tried to make a move towards the florist: by either trying to ask for help, or humming a little louder than he used to, or buying unnecessary things to see if he would engage in small talks like he did towards the other customers.

But all of them failed, leaving Yunho devastated and an increasing amount of gardening tools tossed in his spare closet.

"Did you like anything?" A voice called out to him, making Yunho turn at the moving plant from the back room to behind the counters. The florist bent to his side and Yunho prepared himself to finally see and stare at Wooyoung's eyes, but he only twisted to check the soil in the plant's pot as he spoke. "There will be new stocks and items getting delivered within the day, so I guess you can look into them tomorrow if you'd want to?"

Yunho didn't expect much when it came to the florist. A second glance was all he needed, and it nearly broke his heart when he wasn't able to get it even until he stepped out of the shop, with another cacti in his hands. He thought about tossing it out, but it eventually faded when he reached his office with the plant still sitting in his hands, the rest of the office looking at him in confusion, and if there is a person who could directly ask him what the fuck is going on with his brain without getting fired, it would be Seonghwa.

"What's up with the tiny green alien in your hands, chief?" he asked after Yunho settled in his office and collapsed on the leather sofa. 

"Don't start." Yunho grunted, handing over the cactus to Seonghwa after the older dropped his coffee on the table. "Your desk needs more life. Put this there."

"Funny. I was about to say that to you too."

Yunho glared at him so hard but Seonghwa only found it entertaining, taking the plant from his outstretched hands and placed it at the corner of Yunho's desk, just a few inches away from his desktop screen. "There. It's definitely looking a lot less than the black and white movies my grandfather used to see."

"You really have a death wish, don't you?" Yunho eyed him, thinking rather seriously if he could survive leading the company without an insulting smart-ass Seonghwa by his side.

(He couldn't and wouldn't.)

"I really just want you to get a grip and get a fucking life outside the office, Yunho." Seonghwa explained, leaning on Yunho's table and toyed with his pens with his fingertips. "You used to be so bright and full of life and colorful. You've lost that spark that drew me closer to you and gave me a reason to work with you."

Yunho's mother used to call him her butterfly.

_"You have so many colors on your wings that you can't even see. You gave me so much meaning and your father something to take care of. We want you to keep those colors with you, whether you'll keep them on your wings or within the walls of your heart."_ his mom told him one sunny afternoon, her fingers running gently through his scalp as he squinted against the sunlight shining on their little picnic set-up they arranged in their garden.

Yunho knew how colorful his life used to be, and how much more he wanted to be in the future.

But unpredictable things caused these colors to fade in order for him to continue on what his father had built for him to keep them. The colors blended in with the routines he made, and whether he knew about it or not, he simply had no time to care. 

Let the colors dull out or let them live, but he cannot let himself get distracted by these colors from leading the empire.

Seonghwa knew about Yunho's past and the faded dreams, since he's been groomed by his own father into helping the Jeong family. When Yunho's father tried to keep his child away from that life, Seonghwa lived to learn about them. He grew up learning more than what the kids his age knew, and when Yunho began to lead whatever his father left, Seonghwa's family introduced him to Yunho and they've been inseparable ever since.

So even if he could fire him because of his stupid remarks and endless insults he did to Yunho, criticizing every black suit he own, commenting on the patterned ties he got; Yunho doesn't have the guts to cut him out of his life. He's too good and Yunho has learned to trust him with his back, and no one can handle Yunho's stubborn routines and excuses except for Seonghwa. 

Seonghwa became the older brother Yunho never had.

"I never had those colors to begin with." Yunho gritted his teeth, causing Seonghwa to chuckle sadly.

"You pretend to not have them just so the rest won't have a weakness to bring you down with." 

"Even if I have them, I have no reason to bring them out anymore."

Yunho followed Seonghwa's fingers that played with his pens, and towards the cactus on his desk. Seonghwa looked at Yunho and smiled, nodding towards the plant.

"You already found the reason."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

"You are absolutely insane." the florist gaped, dropping his hands on the counter. 

"You never paid attention. I didn't have a choice."

Yunho shrugged as the florist stared at him wide-eyed and seemingly lost for words. He rounded the middle table that was filled with vases holding such intricate patterns and colors of flowers and plants alike, fingers delicately passing through the smooth petals and ridged leaves. Yunho sighed with content after smelling one of the buds, soft scent lingering through as he closed his eyes, then opening them to look back at the florist.

"So you think sticking flowers onto your cheeks with a band-aid is a good choice for me to notice you?" Wooyoung asked, crossing his arms on his chest and tilting his head, trying to figure what is going on in Yunho's brain.

Yunho took the guts to approach Wooyoung after weeks since his last conversation with Seonghwa about the plant. He wasn't quite sure how to approach the situation nor his feelings, so he did a little more research and a lot more thinking about what the hell he wanted, and what he needed. 

And when he finally took the chance and made his mouth speak, he didn't quite expect Wooyoung to insult his every being after one stare. 

(Okay, maybe the band-aid with flowers on his face was more than enough to insult everything Yunho is, since that decision wasn't really well thought of.)

"It is effective." Wooyoung nodded, but eyes still in awe at the way Yunho seemed unaffected with that thing on his cheek. "But was it a good choice? Maybe not."

"What other options would you propose? A bouquet of flowers when you're clearly a florist yourself? A box of chocolate without knowing if you are allergic to them or something-"

"A decent greeting would be nice." Wooyoung sighed, interrupting Yunho's ramble.

"What?"

"A proper 'hello' would suffice, or maybe a call to my name?" Wooyoung said, a hand held out as if he was offering something.

Yunho cleared his throat. "I did try and make you engage in small talks, but you never seemed to pay any attention."

"Have you told me your name?" Wooyoung asked, and Yunho could finally tell what colors his eyes held.

Light streaks of brown that turned golden when the sunlight shone on them. The kind of colors you would see in hidden treasures, like the browns that were neglected by light to be kept away from those selfish people. The browns that slowly fade into gold whenever the treasure has been found by those who are worthy of receiving it.

"My-my name?" He stuttered, eyes unfocusing as he tried to look deeper within those golden colors. “You don’t know who I am?”

Wooyoung shrugged. “I know you by the stories others have told me. But do I know you by what you’ve told me and shown me? I’d probably tell you that you’re like an awkward teenager who doesn’t know the concept of names, introductions or flirting and proceeds to stick something that represents my work on their cheeks to show their genuinity.” He crossed his arms again, and Yunho lost his words.

Jeong Yunho is smart and called insane for being five steps ahead of his competitors.

And yet, when it comes to a florist in a brown vest and white inner shirt, he’s five steps behind and is falling backwards.

“I-”

“Save it.” Wooyoung waved a hand, dismissing him before he could even finish his sentence. “I wouldn’t want to spend my time trying to educate someone about dating when I have no experience of it myself.”

“How come?” Yunho said before he could stop himself, tilting his head slightly at Wooyoung’s words. “How come someone as pretty as you are hasn’t experienced dating yet?”

Wooyoung scoffed at that, eyes still on the cash register. “Same reasons as yours.”

“Mine?” Yunho asked dumbly. If San or Seonghwa saw him in this state, Yunho won’t be able to see the end of it. “How come you know about the reasons I have when you don’t know who I am?”

The florist sighed, then leaned his elbows above the computer and looked at Yunho in the eyes. 

_He has such pretty eyes,_ he thought. _Much prettier than any of the flowers in here._

“Your actions speak louder, Mr. Jeong. The moment I saw you staring at my shop a couple months back, the way you move and act as if nothing happened, and the way you proudly stuck that band-aid on your face- now that I keep on looking at it, it gets funnier by the second- says that you clearly have no idea what you’re doing and just winging it. Which is the complete opposite of what you’ve been doing to run that huge company of yours-”

“Because I am not here to own you.” Yunho interrupted, causing Wooyoung to now look like he’s lost his words. 

“What?” he croaked out, and Yunho sighed.

He stripped the band-aid along with the flowers off his cheeks, eyes crinkling slightly at the pain as he walked closer towards him. Wooyoung smelled like lavender and vanilla, and had glasses hidden at the sides of the cash register. He owned more phones than Yunho, all lined up neatly at the bottom shelf near the back doors. And Wooyoung had a mole under his right eye.

Yunho looked at it for longer, before slowly glancing a little more upwards, and he saw the streaks of gold dancing in his eyes.

“I am not here to treat you like I’m in a business meeting or something. I am not here to talk to you like the way I talk to my potential business partners. I am not here with the confidence I wore around the office because that, that is my expertise. I trained and studied every nook and cranny of the empire my father built, but not once did those books and notes he left are about approaching a rather attractive owner of a flower shop that caught my eyes the first time I saw him.”

Wooyoung lost the glare and sarcasm he wore as a mask. Yunho saw his eyes darken the more he talked, and he saw how Wooyoung’s breath hitched when he paused. 

Yunho stopped right before him, the counter separating them both, and Yunho thought that was for the best. Because kissing a complete stranger just because he found his mole and eyes attractive isn’t such a good idea; especially when that man is looking rather alarmed at Yunho’s presence, but isn’t really pushing him away.

Yunho took that as a good sign.

He felt the small buds he took off from his face in his palm, the plaster sticking in his fingers, but slowly losing their adhesive the more his hands sweat. He leaned his hands on the counter, and smiled fondly.

Wooyoung looked full of life and colorful, and Yunho couldn’t wait for him to paint his dull, bland life all over with every color he desired. 

He isn’t quite sure where all this bravery or courage came from, but once he took a good grip on it, he wouldn’t dare to let go.

“I may tumble over my words, and you may find mistakes that I’d make over dinners. I may even do something like unintentionally kill the plants you’d ask me to take care of, or totally forget a holiday we planned together. Because I never learned these things, or rather, I never bothered to learn them, thinking that I never would come to a point where I would want a life like that. But I saw you. And suddenly, I wanted more.”

Yunho could feel the plants and flowers leaning closer to his words, listening to everything he had to say. Not even once in those years after he took over the company did he ever feel this thumping in his heart, similar to excitement and adrenaline and desire.

Desire to be wanted.

Desire to feel free.

Desire to be surrounded with warmth and colors.

“Let me learn with you. Let me show you who I am. Not as how people perceive me to be.”

Desire to be loved.

“Please let me see your colors, and I’ll show you mine.”

**Author's Note:**

> Super excited to start this (in the middle of my two on-going fics but yes) and I'm so happy how this turned out! This will be a short one, maybe three chapters tops, but I hope you'll look forward to seeing more of Florist Wooyoung and CEO Yunho!
> 
> Please let me know if you liked it!
> 
> See you soon!


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